In a paper manufacturing machine, a suspension of paper fibers and other materials in water flows out of a horizontal slot in the paper manufacturing machine onto a foraminous screen conveyor. The fibers in this water suspension will form the paper product once the water is removed from it. The horizontal slot out of which the fiber suspension flows, is called the slice. The slice is typically made up of a lower plate which is generally parallel to the conveyor and a sharp-edged upper plate having a height and angle relative to the lower plate which are adjustable. The upper plate is usually generally perpendicular to the lower plate. The slice defining surface of the upper and lower plates are referred to in more general terms as the upper lip and the lower lip.
As the fiber suspension flows between the upper and lower lips, paper fibers or other materials may become lodged on the front or back side of the upper lip and agglomerate into small clumps. When this occurs, the fiber suspension flowing through the slice past these clumps flows irregularly. This irregular flow of the suspension causes streaks or irregularities in the final paper product which are considered to be defects. Therefore, it is desirable to periodically remove the clumps from the slice.
The width of the slice may be as much as 30 feet or more and because of the inaccessibility of the entirety of this wide slot, the removal of clumps of fibers is very difficult. The conventional way of removing clumps of fibers is to completely shut down the machine and either treat the slice with chemicals or scrape it with a tiny plastic scraper. Since the conventional cleaning means requires completely shutting down the machine, the conventional way of cleaning the slice is expensive and difficult to do and therefore it is rarely done.
There is a need for a slice cleaning means which is quick and effective, alleviating the problem of total shut down which results in high costs.